The Spa at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An (Vietnam) launched a new healing spa treatment to help guests discover the five elements of earth, wood, fire, metal, and water. The Five Elements Bodywork ($211, 1 hour 40 minutes) treatment aims to improve blood circulation and muscle flexibility; reduce fluid retention, stress, and tension; and provide relaxation and mental revitalization.
Crystal singing bowls are played during the treatment and are tuned to 432 hertz, the harmonic intonation of nature. The fire element includes a paste made of spicy ginger to treat pain and tension and inspires a connection to power and strength. Earth and water are addressed with a footbath of lemon, lemongrass, and mint leaves that works to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and ground the body and mind. Metal is used with gem-tipped metal tuning forks to create a subtle vibration that helps to create inner wellbeing, and wood addresses growth, change, and expansion. What’s more, traditional Hoi An agarwood is ceremonially burned and the smoke helps to energize the body’s life force, balance the nervous system, and invoke a sense of strength. At the end of the treatment, guests can enjoy a cup of ginger tea with fresh pandan leaves. “Ancient scriptures have long held the belief that the human body–like nature–is composed of five elements: earth, wood, fire, metal, and water,” says Oanh Ngo, spa manager at The Spa at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An. “Nourishing each of these elements in our body and mind helps us attune to nature’s cycles, leaving us feeling grounded and healthy. All too often, however, our busy lives lead us away from harmony, and our lack of elemental nourishment causes us to feel disconnected with our inner self and the world around us. The Five Elements Bodywork treatment helps to purify these elements and restore balance and health, and to unfold the inner powers and abilities contained in each element.”